James Webb observes a stunning luminous display on Jupiter.

      **Aurora Observations on Jupiter**

      NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Ricardo Hueso (UPV), Imke de Pater (UC Berkeley), Thierry Fouchet (Observatory of Paris), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), J. Nichols (University of Leicester), M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)

      On Earth, we sometimes witness beautiful auroras caused by solar activity, most famously known as the Northern Lights. However, Earth is not the only planet to exhibit this phenomenon, as Mars and Neptune also showcase auroras. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope has documented a remarkable instance of this effect on Jupiter, with auroral displays that are hundreds of times more brilliant than those on Earth.

      Auroras occur when energetic particles from the sun engage with a planet's atmosphere and are primarily observed near the planet's magnetic poles. Observing the auroras on Jupiter not only provides a stunning visual spectacle but also allows astronomers to gain insights into the vast and intricate magnetosphere of the planet.

      These auroras were detected during Webb's observations on December 25, 2023 — Christmas Day — though the findings have just been made public.

      "What a wonderful Christmas surprise it was – it completely amazed me!" stated lead researcher Jonathan Nichols from the University of Leicester, UK. "We anticipated that the auroras would change slowly, possibly fading in and out over a period of about 15 minutes. Instead, we witnessed the entire auroral region sparkling and flickering with light, sometimes changing every second."

      NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details of the auroras on the largest planet in our solar system. The shimmering lights displayed on Jupiter are far brighter than what is seen on Earth. NASA, ESA, CSA, Jonathan Nichols (University of Leicester), Mahdi Zamani (ESA/Webb)

      Jupiter’s auroras differ somewhat from those on Earth; they are not solely formed by solar storms but are also enhanced by the planet's intense magnetic field, which attracts charged particles from the sun as well as from Io, one of its moons known for its volcanic activity. As these volcanoes eject material into space, some of it is propelled with sufficient force to escape the moon's gravity and become trapped in Jupiter's orbit. When these particles are captured and accelerated by Jupiter’s immense gravity, they collide with the planet’s atmosphere at high speeds, creating the illuminated effect within the atmospheric gases.

      There remain numerous questions regarding Jupiter’s auroras. The researchers are puzzled by discrepancies in observations from the Webb and Hubble space telescopes, which operate at different wavelengths yet appear to reveal different areas of brightness.

      "What makes these observations even more intriguing is that we obtained simultaneous images in the ultraviolet with NASA's Hubble Space Telescope," remarked Nichols. "Strangely, the brightest light detected by Webb did not have a corresponding counterpart in Hubble’s images. This discrepancy has left us confused. To generate the combination of brightness observed by both Webb and Hubble, we would expect to see a mixture of large amounts of very low-energy particles impacting the atmosphere, which was previously thought to be improbable. We are still trying to understand how this occurs."

      Georgina has been a space writer at Digital Trends for six years, covering human space exploration and planetary topics.

      **James Webb Captures Stunning Image of a Cosmic Tornado**

      The James Webb Space Telescope has taken another breathtaking image of space, this time displaying the dramatic surroundings of a young star. Extremely young stars can produce powerful jets of hot gas during their formation, and when these jets collide with surrounding dust and gas, they form striking structures known as Herbig-Haro objects. This new image features Herbig-Haro 49/50, located relatively close to Earth at just 630 light-years away in the constellation Chamaeleon. Scientists have previously observed this object using the Spitzer Space Telescope and named it the "Cosmic Tornado" because of its conical shape. To demonstrate the impressive capabilities of James Webb in capturing such objects in remarkable detail, one can compare the Spitzer image from 2006 with the new image from the James Webb.

      **NASA's Webb Telescope Views Saturn-like Planets 130 Light-Years Away**

      NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope represents the agency’s most advanced and precise instrument for observing the universe’s wonders. Astronomers utilize it to uncover the deepest secrets by examining distant solar systems and capturing images of planets resembling those in our own system. Recently, the Webb Telescope succeeded in capturing its first direct images of exoplanets nearly 130 light-years from Earth. The observatory obtained images of four "giant" planets within the solar system of a distant star known as HR 8799. This system is relatively young, having formed approximately 30 million years ago, a brief span compared to our solar system's 4.6 billion years.

      **James